Christina Hennessy

Published 6:14 pm, Thursday, September 19, 2013

Chef Duff Goldman attends the Los Angeles premiere of "The Smurfs 2" at Regency Village Theatre on July 28, 2013, in Westwood, Calif., with a cake made by his Charm City Cakes. Goldman will be at the Greenwich (Conn.)Wine and Food Festival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, which will run Oct. 3 to 5, 2013. Goldman plans on doing a baking demonstration at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 at one of the demonstration tents. For information on the schedule and admission, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SONY)
Photo: Contributed Photo

Chef Duff Goldman attends the Los Angeles premiere of "The Smurfs...

Duff Goldman attends the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as it celebrates Hollywood's 125th birthday held at Hollywood and Highland on February 1, 2012 in Hollywood, Calif. Goldman will be at the Greenwich (Conn.) Wine and Food Festival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, which will run Oct. 3 to 5, 2013. Goldman plans on doing a baking demonstration at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 at one of the demonstration tents. For information on the schedule and admission, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
Photo: Contributed Photo

Duff Goldman attends the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as it...

Food fans gather last year at the second annual Greenwich Food and Wine Festival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich. This year's event, whcih will once again benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a nonprofit that runs camps for children coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses, will be held from Oct. 3 to 5, 2013. For more information, visit greenwichwineandfood.com. File photo/Bob Luckey
Photo: File Photo

The art that will soon be made in Greenwich certainly will be composed, as well as sculptural and dynamic. But don't expect it to last. It is the kind of creativity best savored when consumed.

The concept of food as art is never very far from the mind of chef Duff Goldman, who stars on Food Network's "Ace of Cakes." As founder and owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, he leads a crew of bakers, artists, builders and welders who create over-the-top creations for all manner of celebrations. In July, for instance, the shop created a cake for "The Smurfs 2" premiere in Los Angeles.

He is adept at savory dishes, too. But whatever the dish at hand, this former graffiti artist and sculptor said creations for the canvas and the plate share certain principles, including, even, criticism. Visual artists, however, do not typically have to worry that their art tastes good.

Goldman said when a chef is working with food, it can be as if he is creating a painting, but it is far more multidimensional.

"You are painting with a sense of taste. You are painting with a sense of smell. You are painting with a sense of touch, taste and texture," he said. "You are working with so many different dimensions."

Goldman will be hard at work on Saturday, Oct. 5, during one of the many food demonstrations that will feature nationally known chefs. They, and the many other food and wine vendors who will be at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, will be adding luster and flavor to the third annual Greenwich Wine and Food Festival from Oct. 3 to 5.

Whether it is a celebration of the art of cooking, a desire to make connections with regional purveyors of foods and goods, a chance to see chefs, wine stewards and mixologists at the top of their game or to listen to some music, organizers said this local food festival, like others around the country, is a response to a growing trend.

"When we launched the magazine, we knew we had a very large foodie following," said Suni Unger, a Stamford resident who is among the founders of Serendipity, which is presenting the festival.

A proliferation of cooking shows on television, the rise of the celebrity chef, culinary movements that have attracted adherents from around the country (food-to-table, organic), artisanal food production or a desire to eat better have all been cited when it comes to explaining the devoted fan base that has helped food festivals grow.

It is at such events that visitors can combine learning a secret tip from one of their favorite chefs to meeting others who are as into food as they are. They also can raise money. This year's Wine and Food Festival benefits Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

"Food festivals reflect a deeper movement in the food scene right now, which is the idea of the local food movement," said Aaron Van Dyke, an assistant professor of chemistry at Fairfield University. Before coming to Connecticut, he lived in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he was involved with the Selma Cafe, an all-volunteer organization focused on the local food movement with which he continues to be involved. "People are asking, `What is being produced in my region, what is my region known for?' "

In that search, he said people are seeking out, as well as asking for, new ways to gather and enjoy their food.

"There are lots of different ways people who love food can gather and enjoy that experience," he said.

For chefs, such a concentrated group of people, devoted to the joy of eating, can inspire a desire to up the game. It's the chance to create dishes that will be remembered.

"You want to do something that has a wow factor," said Michael William Batt, of Greenwich-based Food Design Catering. He is one of 12 chefs from Connecticut and New York whose work will be showcased and sampled throughout the weekend.

"It was outrageously good," said Unger, of the tastings last year, many of which featured the work of chefs who will be returning this year.

Batt cited his grandmothers as helping to inspire his career. One was Italian, the other was Puerto Rican, and both were "phenomenal" cooks.

As to the secret of elevating food to an art, Batt said it's not so much a tangible trick, as one that requires some experience.

"What I have learned, from my grandmothers and other great cooks is that you have to cook with love," he said. "It is true, you can taste the difference. It is a very soulful experience. You must take time and let the flavors come together."